Homemade Fabric Softener

Fabric Softener is actually something I don't use often.  I really feel like my homemade laundry detergent leaves the clothes and towels quite soft enough but Mr Pears likes to use it sometimes so I figured I would try making some to go along with my other DIY cleaners.

I was especially happy to do it when I found this "recipe" on Frugal Girls that uses Suave Naturals Conditioner.  I somehow managed to acquire two bottles of this stuff and I can't stand using it on my hair.  I hate it so much I refuse to inflict it on guests either so this was the perfect solution.  1 bottle makes two batches of softener and the conditioner is only $1 a bottle.  Add in the minimal cost of some vinegar and this stuff is a very inexpensive alternative to buying fabric softener.

Just to test it out I used it on our sheets the other day and it seemed to work fine.  I used Coconut Natural Conditioner so the smell was nice too. :)

Homemade Fabric Softener, adapted from Frugal Girls
1 cup Suave Naturals Conditioner (I used Coconut)
3 cups hot water
1 1/2 cups white vinegar

Put the conditioner into a medium sized bowl and whisk in the hot water to dissolve the conditioner.  Stir in the vinegar.  Let it cool a bit then pour it into a container to store it in.

I used an empty V8 Fusion bottle to store this, it holds 46 fl. oz.  This is only half of the original "recipe" given on Frugal Girls but I thought this size would be better for me because it allows me to give the bottle a little shake before using (the conditioner will settle a little), and it is a nice size for easy pouring into the little downy ball I use for softener.  Of course this does mean I will have to make the softener more often but I think I can spare the 5 minutes for the ease of use of the smaller bottle.

A Different Kind of Recipe - Laundry Detergent

So you know Mr Pears and I (especially Mr Pears) like to make everything we can from scratch.  From bread to brownies to mayonnaise and everything in between.  So when I mentioned making laundry detergent, he was totally on board.  Especially since we do about a load of laundry EVERY DAY.  ugh.

It was super super easy, it only took 20 minutes!  And it is super cheap.  According to the calculations done by the blogger whose recipe I used, it works out to about $0.01 a load.  All I know is I spent $11 on "ingredients" and still have a ton of stuff left over to make more.  The batch I made came out to about 2 gallons.  Using 1/2 a cup that is 64 loads of laundry.  Enough to (hopefully) last us two months.  20 minutes of work for 2 months of laundry soap?  for $0.71?  Yes!  (For more details on the math click here.)

P.S.  This works in HE machines too!

Laundry Detergent - recipe by Crystal Miller
1/3 bar of Fels Naptha .
1/2 cup Washing Soda  (looks like baking soda but a much much bigger box!)
1/2 cup Borax
1 utitlity bucket for mixing and cooling

All of those ingredients can be found in the laundry aisle of your grocery store.  Seriously.  I honestly didn't expect to find everything but there they were!  And all for $11 total.

The first thing I did was grate the soap on a box grater.  Then I put the soap flakes into a large pot with 6 cups of water.

I heated it over medium until the soap flakes were melted then I stirred in the borax and washing soda.

Once everything was dissolved and combined I poured the mixture into my bucket and then added an additional 4 cups of hot (from the tap) water and stirred it together.

Lastly I poured in another gallon plus 6 cups of room temperature tap water and gave it one last stir.  Ta Da! Done. Well, almost.  It does need to sit overnight to gel together and cool down.  I just moved my bucket into the laundry room.  The next day I used a funnel to pour the detergent into some empty laundry detergent bottles I had saved for this purpose.  The end product isn't a true gel, by the way, so don't be concerned if it looks weird to you.  Also, I chose not to use any scent since we typically are "free and clear" type people but you can definitely stir in about an ounce of essential oil to make your soap smell pretty.  The plain soap smells quite pretty enough for me.

And for the results?  My first load came through great! (Though I didn't have any real stains on anything so I'm not sure how it will do on those)  I am planning to make my own Oxy-Clean type stuff soon and Mr. Pears wants to make bar soap now.  I'll let you know how we do. :)